The silent minority has finally spoken. Yes, Mac users do know how to make some noise.

I wrote last week about my foray into the world of Windows XP and virus protection, anti-spam programs, spyware, adware and every other type of protection that PC users must be aware of.

What I didn't explain clearly enough (in the eyes of many Apple devotees) is that Macintosh computers are exempt from these worries. I knew it, because I've been using Apple computers since before the Mac was born.

Here's a bit of what the Mac fanatics said about their easy-operating machines:

"Shouldn't you say that Macs are 'virus free' instead of 'relatively free' at least until someone actually does, if ever, develop a virus that attacks Macs through e-mails the way PCs are?" writes Don Wooley of Georgia.

A reader named F.L. writes: "There are (more than) 20 million Mac users running Mac OS X, and not one virus in the whole bunch. I do not even run virus protection on my Macs because it is not necessary. "It's not hard. Just say it. You know it is true. That is why you will not trust your hard work on one of those crappy PCs."

Greg Thurman writes: "I have never been successfully attacked by a worm, virus, trojan horse, key logger or spyware since switching to OS X, and the issue is not one of market share. There are several sites offering rewards to anyone reporting malware for OS X, and the thrill of writing viruses is the knowledge that you can do something others have not. Being the first to crack OS X security would be a huge badge of honor.

"The key to security on Linux and Mac OS X CPUs, is they are based on UNIX. Try as a hacker might, UNIX is inherently secure, with or without virus protection. The problem facing Windows, is that it was developed before the advent of the Internet, and because of that, was not designed with security in mind.

"Microsoft has done an admirable job of plugging security holes. The problem is that there are so many. Windows will never be as secure as UNIX, Linux or Mac OS X, until Microsoft abandons users of legacy code, going back to DOS, and completely rewrites the OS," Thurman said.

Finally, Greg Sparkman, president of Creative Partners Group in Palos Verdes Peninsula, Calif., points out that previous versions of Apple's operating systems weren't immune. "The pre-UNIX, OS 9 system was plagued by a number of viruses. ... UNIX was designed for network use from the beginning and hence, has better innate protection from abuse. I have no doubt in my mind that if it were as easy to attack Macs as Windows, you would see some Mac viruses. There are thousands of Windows viruses, ZERO Mac viruses."

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